Late one night in a dark club an academic was confused about my antecedents and my reply included geographic information since we grew up on the same continent:
I went to school in Olympia – I started – but he interrupted and exclaimed Like the Courtney Love song!
I replied Um, yeah.
He asked Is the song accurate?
I shrugged and said In some respects. Except she didn’t actually go to school there. And I definitely dated more people in that town than she ever did, so I feel confident saying no… they don’t fuck the same.
This summary caused some consternation but, well, he asked.
Later in the same week a British born, raised, and educated scientist asked where I went to school and I restricted myself to a one word reply: Evergreen.
He clapped his hands in delight and said Matt Groening! The Simpsons!
Oh, indeed. Though as I pointed out, the show had not yet premiered when I applied to attend that institute of higher education.
Though I was always a fan of both MG and Lynda Barry, when they published in alternative weeklies. I would not have survived junior high let alone made it to university if I hadn’t discovered Marlys and Life in Hell, huddled in the art room cupboard while my feral schoolmates ate lunch.
This was on my mind over the weekend because the public administration alumni association emailed to ask for help with Super Saturday. The evidence suggests I finished grad school fourteen years ago. How improbable.